Hegseth Announces New US Attack on Alleged Drug Boat in Caribbean, 6 Dead
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has announced a new strike on a suspected drug-running boat in the Caribbean, killing six people on board.
The operation was carried out overnight Friday against the boat operated by the Venezuela-based gang Tren de Aragua, Hegseth said.
“Overnight, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO), trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean Sea,” Hegseth said in an X post with a video of the strike.
He added: “The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics. Six male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters—and was the first strike at night. All six terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike.”
The video shows a projectile dropping on the boat, moments before the vessel disappears in an explosion and thick cloud of black smoke.
Hegseth capped the social media post with a threat for gangs and cartels who think they can run drugs by sea.
“If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda. Day or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you.”
The bombing is the ninth military strike on drug-smuggling vessels over the last two months, and comes two days after US attacks on suspected drug boats stretched to the Pacific Ocean for the first time.
The assaults have raised concerns from both Democrats and Republicans alike, including Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who questioned the legality of such strikes with Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker over the weekend.
“When you kill someone, if you’re not in a declared war, you really need to know someone’s name at least,” Paul said. “You have to accuse them of something. You have to present evidence. So all of these people have been blown up without any evidence of a crime.”
Watch above via Fox News.
